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[ windspeaker confidential ] - Dorothy Grant

Windspeaker: What one quality do you most value in a friend?
Dorothy Grant: Honesty and respect for one another.

W: What is it that really makes you mad?
D.G.: Racism and ignorance, mixed with apathy.

W: When are you at your happiest?
D.G.: When I make someone else happy when dressing him or her in my garments and I see it makes them shine with pride. It is most satisfying to see that happen.

W: What one word best describes you when you are at your worst?
D.G.: Jetlag.

Cabinet shift shocks leaders

Premier of Ontario Dalton McGuinty has shuffled his cabinet, leaving some leaders shocked.
The Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Honourable Michael Bryant is no longer holding the position, but has been reassigned to the role of Minister for Economic Development. The new Minister of Aboriginal Affairs is the previous Minister of Labour, Brad Duguid.
President Métis Nation of Ontario Gary Lipinski said that Bryant's commitment, knowledge and passion for their issues will be missed, but states that he will continue to be a strong ally to the Métis Nation in his new role.

BC invests in literacy projects

British Columbia is investing $6 million towards literacy programs across the province, in an effort to improve its literacy strategies in school districts and establish new programs for Aboriginal, rural and remote areas.
The plans were announced on International Literacy day by Education Minister Shirley Bond.
"By funding literacy projects in all areas of the province, as well as encouraging lifelong learning by ensuring those projects are available to all citizens, B.C. is well on its way to meeting that goal," said Bond.

Internship program prepares youth for career jobs

With the inspiring success of its first year, the new and innovative Aboriginal Internship Program in B.C. is now able to recruit an additional 10 students to the original15 this year. The 15 interns were chosen from approximately 80 Aboriginal youth who applied and won the internship after a rigorous recruiting process, said Sasha Hobbs, the program manager of the Aboriginal Internship Program.

Internship program prepares youth for career jobs

With the inspiring success of its first year, the new and innovative Aboriginal Internship Program in B.C. is now able to recruit an additional 10 students to the original15 this year. The 15 interns were chosen from approximately 80 Aboriginal youth who applied and won the internship after a rigorous recruiting process, said Sasha Hobbs, the program manager of the Aboriginal Internship Program.

Josh Sacobie waits for his chance in a CFL spot

There's no denying Josh Sacobie is an above-average football player.
The 24-year-old Maliseet is a record-breaking quarterback currently with the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees.
For Sacobie, this is his fifth and final season in the university ranks.
And though he realizes the odds may be against him, he's hoping to move up and play professional football in the near future.
Ideally, Sacobie would have preferred to be in the Canadian Football League now.

Olympian Monica Pinette leaves Beijing with lasting memories

Even though she did not come close to achieving her goal of a Top 12 finish in the women's modern pentathlon event, Monica Pinette will still have some rather fond memories of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Pinette, a 31-year-old Métis born in Vancouver, placed 27th over-all in her sport, which combines five disciplines; swimming, running, fencing, shooting and riding (show jumping). There were a total of 36 entrants in her competition.
Participants in the modern pentathlon must compete in all five events. They are awarded points for how well they perform in each discipline.

Methods explored to engage youth in Native language

Lying in her crib, tiny Gantowisa's mouth curls into a sleepy smile as she drifts off to a Kanien'keha (Mohawk) lullaby sung softly by a grade four student.
Though today's language lesson is over, the infant will coo and clap her hands when the students return to act out a silly skit delivered completely in Kanien'keha.
Such scenes sound too idyllic for school curriculum, but in Cornwall, Ontario, this vibrant, intergenerational dynamic is fostering a new generation of first language Kanien'keha speakers.